And so the adventure begins...

It's not very often in the adventure that is family history that we reach a point in which we can actively do something right now to make a monumental difference. 
Oh yeah. You read that correctly.
There is something you can do RIGHT NOW that will make a make waves in the world of your family history hunt. 
So strap in. Get ready. Get set...

Keep a journal. 

Yep, you read that right. Keep a journal. 

So now your asking yourself, "what?" And then probably, "um, how will this help?"

Well, dear hunter, this is how...
As we hunt for information about our ancestors, we are ultimately limited by what information is out there. It's not the happiest of truths but there is it. We can (and need to) index - which does bring about new information, but we also need to be proactive in paving the for future generations. 
How many times have you wished you could find the journal of an ancestor? Wouldn't it be perfect to find that missing piece of information? 
This is part of the benefit of keeping a journal now. In writing down our daily ventures, we can preserve our lives for future generations rather than become a mystery to be puzzled out. 

For myself, whenever I start a new journal, I make sure to include some kind of survey question portion. My thinking behind this is that if that particular journal is the only one found I want my descendants to know what I think is the important stuff about me. The benefit to this controlled "me survey" is that I can choose the questions to ask and answer. 
I always include my full name, my birthdate, address, family members and their birthdates. (Seriously now. This is the info I'd want about my ancestors so I try to make it as easy as possible for whoever gets a hold of my journals in the future.) 
From there I might include my current job, hobbies, goals, favorite color- all that stuff. 
Keeping a daily (or every other day) record of our lives will be beneficial not only to the people who will come after us but there's also something calming and centering about being able to write out how we feel. 
It seems like the art of journal keeping has been largely lost but I so appreciate the books and tv shows out there that encourage people today to write, like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", "Dork Diaries", and "The Vampire Diaries". 

Journals and diaries are available all over the place. I personally love to browse my local Barnes and Noble for the right journal, but even a composition notebook will work. 

Get excited! 

Go pick out a beautiful journal, get some awesome pens, and go to town! I love including stickers, movie ticket stubs, photos, those paper bracelets from dances...
On days when I want to write in my journal but might not have a lot of time to vent or get in touch with my inner-heart I'll bullet-point "Ten Good Things That Happened Today." It's a great way to record what transpired during the day but also helps me focus on the good things from my day. 

Still unsure? Well, consider this....

I love Nightvale and their deep thoughts but this one felt chilling. How sad! I know that I certainly have more people I'm related to than I'll be able to learn about because of lack of records but I can do something about me. I can help my future family know me. 

Journals. Diaries. They are miracles of human communication. With merely a piece of paper and a writing utensil I can record my thoughts, feelings, jokes, insights etc for people who are not yet born. 

Happy journaling Hunters!

A Break in Tradition

To Americans this November 5th is more likely to be marked by throw-back-Thursday pictures than any commemoration of the British holiday known as Guy Fawkes Day or Bonfire Day. 

Fans of Harry Potter or Sherlock may recognize those phrases but what is the importance of November 5th?

The fabulous historians over at History.com have summed up the highlights for us in this succinct way: 

"On the night of November 5, 1605, the conspiracy by English Catholics to kill King James I and replace him with his Catholic daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was cut short by the arrest of Guy Fawkes, who had been charged with placing gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament. The plot involved digging a tunnel under the Palace of Westminster, filling it with gunpowder and then triggering a deadly explosion during the ceremonial opening of Parliament, which would have resulted in the death of not only James I, but also the leading Protestant nobility. From then on, November 5 was celebrated in Britain and its colonies with a bonfire burning either Guy Fawkes or the pope in effigy."

At this point an old rhyme might be making its way to the forefront of your mind...

This poem is one that British children can recite by heart. It's cute, concise and brings to mind the importance of November 5th. In Britain the evening is celebrated with firework displays, bonfires, and parties. I had a British Lit teacher that told us that most towns burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes in celebration of the preservation of England and it's monarchy, except the town of Kent. Guy Fawkes was from Kent and the people will 'not burn one of their own.' 

What does any of this have to do with family history?

Remember that the colonists came to America from Britain and since this holiday was being celebrated well before the first ship of people arrived, this holiday is a tradition that would have been brought over. 

So, then the question becomes, when did Americans stop celebrating Guy Fawkes Day? Again, those scholars at History.com have the answer. 

"On this day in 1775, Continental Army commander in chief General George Washington condemns his troops’ planned celebration of the British anti-Catholic holiday, Guy Fawkes Night, as he was simultaneously struggling to win French-Canadian Catholics to the Patriot cause.

In his general orders for the day, Washington criticized 'that ridiculous and childish custom of burning the Effigy of the pope,' part of the traditional Guy Fawkes celebration. He went on to express his bewilderment that there could be 'Officers and Soldiers in this army so void of common sense' and berated the troops for their inability to recognize that 'defence [sic] of the general Liberty of America' demanded expressions of 'public thanks' to the Canadian Catholics who Washington believed to be necessary allies, and wrote that he found 'monstrous' any actions, which might 'be insulting their Religion.'" 

I love General Washington's strong wording. He was serious about this order and he was not going to be misunderstood. If you're keeping track of your family history and history dates on a timeline then these years and events would be good ones to add. 

Take a look at your family tree and see which members of your family would have celebrated Guy Fawkes Day, and who would have been the first ones to stop the tradition. 

I think this is one the more interesting transitional moments in American history. It's rare that we can put an exact date on when something changes but November 5th 1775 is when our ancestors would have been witness to a defined break in tradition. 

Take the time today to look up some of the ways that the lovely citizens of England are enjoying their Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Day. It looks like a lot of fun! 

Happy Hunting! 

1930's and 1940's

Recently Yale released 170,000 pictures from the 1930's and 1940's. These images provide a wealth of information about what life was like during this tumultuous time in American history. 

Take a look at your family tree and find which ancestors lived during the 30's and 40's then head over to this site for the link to find the website. 

This development from Yale University is exciting but it also shows how our work is never done! New information is always coming forward to help us in our family history work. 

Happy Hunting! 

The Invention of a Plain White T

T-shirts here! T-shirts there! T-shirts EVERYWHERE!

Have you ever thought about the t-shirt? I mean, they're everywhere. Hot Topic is basically shirt city. Seriously. We can get them with any phrase or picture we want. 

We even shoot them out of guns at sporting events and concerts. 

But where did t-shirts come from? And what do they have to do with family history?

Well....

My first thought when I read this was "aww!!" I can just picture these adorable bachelors, working hard in the city, trying to impress a lady friend. 

Now that you have this useful little bit of info compare the date 1904 to your family tree and see which of your ancestors may have been the first to wear that snappy new invention *cue exciting ragtime music* the t-shirt! 

Happy Hunting!

Indexing Be Like

Winnie the Pooh's got the idea! Indexing can be an enjoyable experience but it can also be tough to pick out the names and words amongst the various handwritings. 

Indexing is a vital step in the Family History process. 

Did you know that each month one million names are added to Family Search mostly because of indexing? 

WOW! That's a lot of names! That's also a lot of raw material to look through and make connections with. 

My Indexing Story For the Week:

So, despite my best efforts I haven't been able to locate my maternal grandfather's parents information. Not their names, or birth dates- nothing. I was telling a friend about this issue when she pulled out her phone and asked for my grandfather's full name, birth and death dates. In less than three minutes she had found my grandfather and his parents on the 1930 census. I hadn't been able to find it because it hadn't been indexed yet. (I would also give credit to her amazing internet skills.) The record only recently became available and now I can continue working. 

This excited cat understands me. This is how it feels when new information becomes available. 

I'll never know who the person was that indexed the 1930 census but it was pivotal in my heritage hunt. 

If I know who they were I would give them these beautiful flower cupcakes, just as I would give them to all indexers. 

Even when we don't see it the work we do makes a difference. Keep working, keep hunting, keep squinting (Oh Pooh Bear). This work matters. 

Happy Hunting Indexers!

Photographs and the Art of the Unselfie

I recently had the opportunity to look through some old photographs of my childhood and was surprised to find an album of family members all holding me not too long after I was born. It was such a thrill! 

So, there I am as an adorable little newborn and many of the people holding me are now deceased. 

Uncle Gilly

Grandpa

Uncle Jeff

I'm so grateful to my parents and the family members around me that took the time to document these important moments, and yet each picture just looks relaxed. These weren't photo shoots or  fancy parties. In fact, they usually just took place in the living rooms of these special loved ones. 

With today's technology we are never far from a camera and we take pictures all day. But we seem to take two kinds of pictures.
The first kind of picture is inanimate objects. Remember going on a field trip as a kid and your mom would send you with a disposable camera to capture your adventure? I certainly do. And I remember developing the pictures and they were all of random things. 

Grass in Washington D.C.

A floral shop in Washington D.C.

The second kind of pictures we seem to take are selfies. Selfies by the fist-full. 
As much fun as selfies are it's important that we take pictures of other things too. 
How in the world will we present our lives to future children and grandchildren if all we have are pictures of inanimate objects and selfies? What is our legacy if that's all we document? 
"Look at this picture when grandma's eyebrows were on point!" "And this one was an epic hair day grandma was having."

As we take pictures it's important that we document moments that we will want to remember, and to also make notes of who the people in the photo are. There are many apps that will let us record details about the pictures we take- and it is very important that we write (or type) the first AND last names of the people in the picture along with the date.
I've lost contact with friends from my first few semesters of college, and it makes me sad. I have pictures with these people but have you ever tried googling "Scottie the Hottie I think he was from New York"? It doesn't yield many results. 

That isn't to say that random pictures or selfies should be discouraged but rather that we should take a variety of pictures. 

Documenting our legacy is about the every day moments, and the tender times during our day. Our pictures should be more than random pictures of trash cans, selfies, or only photos of vacations and ballgames. We are so much more than any single event. We are all an amazing collection of adventures and moments and it's beautiful to look back and revel in these silly, sad, happy, thoughtful, meaningful, incredible memories. 

Take more pictures, smile, document, and remember. 

Happy Photographing Hunters! 

Twitter: A Love Story

I love Twitter 

It is my preferred source for finding news, celebrity drama, and movie updates. (If you haven't seen it yet, I'm still geeking out about Kenneth Branagh directing the Artemis Fowl movie.)

Other than getting news updates in it's many forms I can also see what's the latest in the world of family history. There are constantly updates, technology advancements, and record discoveries taking place as well as the foremost authorities in family history writing articles to help us all in our pursuit of hunting down our ancestors. 

If you don't have a twitter, it's easy to set up on your phone or your computer. 

Here are some great groups to follow on twitter that regularly update with articles, and helpful hints.
Family Search 
Ancestry
Ancestry Road Map 

These are just a few of my favorite groups to follow, and their tips are interesting to read. It's exciting to see that the world of family history is always moving forward and coming up with new ways of finding the people of our past.
There's always something new to do and something new to learn. 

Good luck Hunters and Huntresses!